Why is mustard greens bitter? How to make mustard greens less bitter

Mustard greens are also rich in vitamins. In Taiwan, China, mustard greens are known as "longevity vegetables". Although mustard greens have rich value, their flower language is "indifference". Some people like to eat shepherd's purse, but shepherd's purse is the most tender and delicious only in spring. If you dig up a lot of shepherd's purse at one time, preservation is indeed a problem. So how can you preserve shepherd's purse better? The following is a detailed sharing.

Contents of this article

1. Why is mustard bitter?

2. How to cook mustard greens without making them bitter

3. How to store mustard greens

Why is mustard bitter?

1. Mustard contains 11 kinds of volatile isothiocyanates, which will generate isothiocyanate compounds after metabolism and have a certain bitter taste.

2. Mustard contains some tannic acid and has a certain bitter taste. If it is eaten directly without being processed, it will have a bitter taste.

3. Mustard also contains some bitter substances. The formation of bitter substances is related to the lack of water and fertilizer when the plants grow. The poorer the living environment, the stronger the bitterness.

How to make mustard greens less bitter

If you are not used to eating mustard greens, you may find the bitter taste a little hard to accept, or even hate eating them. Generally, mustard greens are a little bitter, and the taste itself cannot be changed, but you can use some tricks to remove the bitterness when cooking mustard greens. The method is to first boil the mustard greens in boiling water, then take them out and fry them in a pan, then add salt, and finally add a little sugar. Remember not to add too much sugar, otherwise it will affect the taste of the mustard greens. Follow the above method to reduce the bitterness of the mustard greens.

How to store mustard greens

Direct storage

There are not many wild vegetables dug back, and they can be eaten within a few days. In this way, you can directly store the shepherd's purse in a dark and humid place. This method can ensure that the shepherd's purse is tender green and fresh within 1 to 3 days.

Note: The dug shepherd's purse needs to be ventilated as soon as possible and cannot be kept in a plastic bag for a long time. The enclosed space will accelerate the aging of the shepherd's purse.

Refrigerator storage

Wash the dug shepherd's purse with water, then wrap it separately with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator for refrigeration. When you need to eat it, take out a small bag and eat it. This method can keep the shepherd's purse fresh and green for 5 to 10 days.

Note: Although refrigerated shepherd's purse can ensure its freshness, it cannot be blanched in boiling water after taking it out, especially frozen shepherd's purse. Many of the cells in the shepherd's purse have been broken. Blanching it in boiling water will cause a large amount of nutrients to be lost and also affect the taste of the shepherd's purse.

Cryopreservation

Some people particularly like to eat shepherd's purse, but shepherd's purse is the most tender and delicious only in spring. Digging up a lot of shepherd's purse at one time, preservation is indeed a problem. The best way to preserve such a large amount of shepherd's purse is to freeze it.

Method: Wash the shepherd's purse, add a lot of water to the pot, then add some sesame oil and salt, blanch the shepherd's purse, then cool it down with cold water, pack the shepherd's purse separately in a fresh-keeping bag, and put it in the freezer of the refrigerator (preferably in a cold storage). The shepherd's purse that has been blanched and then frozen can be stored for several months or even a year. Take out a bag to defrost before cooking.